Tuesday, February 8, 2011

These are some photos I never got around to sharing with you from our last trip we took in December to the nearby town of Trogir in Croatia. You may remember the post I did about the charming staircases, what do you think about the sea view and these amazing clouds?

But if you are not a fan of cilantro (you can read more about the food politics behind cilantro here) you can substitute it for parsley, that's what I did when I prepared it for my brother-in-law who has an allergy to cilantro. The pesto makes a great condiment or spread on sandwiches. I refrigerated the left-overs and I still tasted the freshness after one week!

1/4 cup of olive oil ( I added the oil while blending and added until I had the desired consistency, and I'm sure it was more than 1/4 cup)

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 1/2 - 3 1/2 teaspoonful fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

I don't have a food processor, so I threw all the ingredients in the blender and added olive oil until I was satisfied with its consistency.

It's an easy recipe right? I'm curious to know, are you a fan of cilantro or parsley?

When I was dating hubby I always made Mexican rice (which has cilantro) and fresh salsa (which also has cilantro) it was until we married that Hubby told me he really didn't care for that particular herb! And when we lived in Croatia, it was rare to find cilantro/coriander so I prepared the rice with parsley (it doesn't have the same flavor). Funny thing, now that I'm back in the States I find myself leaning towards the parsley.

Friday, February 4, 2011

My Dad likes to say he has two birth-Days, the actual day he was born, and the date that was written in his birth certificate, (one month later). I'm not sure how that happened, but I guess it was very common back then? We tend to celebrate his actual birthdate, but once in a while we also celebrate the following month.Why not! In this picture he is only 22 years old! Can you guess which is me?

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

As you know, Iowa doesn't get much sunshine during this time of year, so here are some simple things that I'm doing to avoid falling victim to the winter blues(SAD) .....

(sorry, I can't remember the source to give credit for these ideas)

Eat less bread

something to do with a spike in sugar? Easier said than done!

Walk

Walk around the house, walk up the stairs, walk outside ...even if it is 10 -15 minutes, idea is to keep moving. I will be out shoveling snow from my parents driveway, and all bundled up because it's cold!

Read

Read a favorite book, but stay away from the fashion magazines....they will only make you feel self-conscious... what do you think about this, true or false?

Create

Use your creativity, write a poem, cook up a favorite recipe ( I have a new recipe to share with you Asian pesto,which I promise I will post this week.)

Make a call

Call a friend and go out for a cup of coffee, or tea.

Socializing is very important.

Laugh

Laughter is contagious so grab a favorite comedy or laugh away with this quote I found:

“Women have a passion for mathematics. They divide their age in half, double the price of their clothes, and always add at least five years to the age of their best friend.” — Marcel Achard